Food hiding and weight control behaviors among ethnically diverse, overweight adolescents. Associations with parental food restriction, food monitoring, and dissatisfaction with adolescent body shape.

The present study aims to extend previous research conducted with children by examining associations between parental behaviors (food restriction, food monitoring) and parental perceptions (dissatisfaction with adolescent body shape) with adolescent behaviors (food hiding and weight control behaviors) among an ethnically diverse sample of overweight adolescents. Survey data were collected from overweight adolescents and their parents/guardians (n=116 dyads) at an urban Midwest adolescent health clinic. Adjusting for parent and adolescent demographic characteristics, logistic regression analyses revealed a significant positive association between parental food restriction and adolescent food hiding.

Demographic and psychosocial factors associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption among smokers in public housing enrolled in a randomized trial.

Objectives: To examine the demographic and psychosocial factors associated with increased fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among smokers residing in public housing.

Design: Cluster randomized trial of 20 public housing developments (HDs). Ten housing developments were randomly assigned to a FV intervention and 10 to a smoking cessation intervention.

The roles of parenting, church attendance, and depression in adolescent smoking.

The aim of the present study was to identify contextual factors related to smoking among urban African-American and White adolescents. We administered a survey assessing demographic and psychosocial variables to 299 adolescents in an urban pediatric clinic in the Midwest. Results indicated that being female, older age, lower academic performance, depressive symptoms, less frequent church attendance, parental smoking, and parental attitudes toward smoking were related to adolescent smoking.

Comparison of body perceptions between obese primary care patients and physicians: implications for practice.

Objective: To compare the body image and weight perceptions of primary care patients and their physicians as a first step toward identifying a potential tool to aid physician-patient communication.

Methods: Patients with a body mass index (BMI)> or =30 (n=456, 66% female) completed body image and weight status measures after office visits; physicians (n=29) rated the body figures and weight status of these same patients after office visits.

Results: Controlling for BMI, female patients and their physicians showed little or no difference in body figure selection or weight status classification, whereas male patients were significantly less likely than their physicians to self-identify with larger body figures (z=3.

BMI percentiles and body image discrepancy in black and white adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between body image discrepancy (BID) and weight status as measured by BMI percentiles (BMI%) among adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 265 adolescents at an urban clinic (females: 116 blacks and 63 whites; males: 62 blacks and 24 whites). BID was the difference between ideal and current body images selected from a 13-figure rating scale, and BMI% were calculated from measured weight and height.

Pathway to health: cluster-randomized trial to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among smokers in public housing.

Objectives: Examine the effectiveness of an intervention to increase fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption among smokers.

Design: Cluster-randomized trial of 20 public housing developments; 10 randomly assigned to an FV intervention and 10 to a smoking cessation intervention.

Main Outcome Measures: Usual (past 7 days) and past 30 days change in daily FV intake at 8 weeks and 6 months postbaseline.

Developmental trajectories of overweight during childhood: role of early life factors.

Objective: Our goal was to identify developmental trajectories of overweight in children and to assess early life influences on these trajectories.

Research Methods And Procedures: Participants consisted of 1739 white, black, and Hispanic children who were younger than 2 years at the first survey and were followed up to 12 years of age. Repeated measures of overweight, defined as BMI > or = 95th percentile, were used to identify overweight trajectories with a latent growth mixture modeling approach.

Correlates of exercise participation in adolescents.

Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to determine correlates of exercise participation among adolescents.

Design: A secondary analysis was conducted of data from a cross-sectional survey of 300 adolescents seen at an urban clinic. Using descriptive statistics and path analysis, we examined the direct and indirect effects of independent variables on exercise participation.

Nicotine dependence among African American light smokers: a comparison of three scales.

Approximately 50% of African American (AA) smokers are light smokers (smoke View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Baseline characteristics and recruitment strategies in a randomized clinical trial of African-American light smokers.

Purpose: This study describes the design, recruitment, and baseline data of the first smoking-cessation clinical trial for African-American light smokers, Kick It at Swope II (KIS-II).

Design: KIS-II was a randomized trial testing the efficacy of nicotine gum (vs. placebo gum) in combination with counseling (motivational interviewing or health education).

Leptin as a marker of body fat and hyperinsulinemia in college students.

Little is known about obesity and insulin resistance in college students. Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells and has been shown to strongly correlate with both obesity and insulin resistance in children and adults. We investigated associations of leptin with insulin secretion and action in 119 normal-weight students aged 18-24 years.

Weight-related perceptions among patients and physicians: how well do physicians judge patients' motivation to lose weight?

Background: Prior studies suggest that patients and physicians have different perceptions and expectations surrounding weight; however, few studies have directly compared patients' and physicians' perspectives.

Objectives: (1) To measure the extent to which obese patients and their physicians have discrepant weight-related perceptions, and (2) to explore patient and physician characteristics that may influence patient-physician discrepancy in motivation to lose weight.

Design And Participants: Four hundred and fifty-six obese patients (302 females; mean age = 55.

Smoking, weight loss intention and obesity-promoting behaviors in college students.

Objective: To examine whether college smoking was associated with trying to lose weight and other weight-related behaviors.

Methods: We surveyed 300 students at the University of Kansas about smoking (ever, current, and amount), weight loss intention (y/n), weight-related attitudes, and eating and exercise behavior. Weight, height, and body fat were measured.

Predictors of quitting among African American light smokers enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: To examine the predictors of quitting among African American (AA) light smokers (<10 cigarettes per day) enrolled in a smoking cessation trial.

Methods: Baseline variables were analyzed as potential predictors from a 2 x 2 cessation trial in which participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: nicotine gum plus health education (HE) counseling, nicotine gum plus motivational interviewing (MI) counseling, placebo gum plus HE counseling, or placebo gum plus MI counseling. Chi-square tests, 2 sample t-tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of cotinine (COT) verified abstinence at month 6.

The effects of nicotine gum and counseling among African American light smokers: a 2 x 2 factorial design.

Aim: Approximately 50% of African American smokers are light smokers (smoke < or = 10 cigarettes a day). The prevalence of light smoking in the United States is increasing, yet there has not been a single smoking cessation clinical trial targeting light smokers. The purpose of this 2 x 2 factorial, randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of nicotine gum (2 mg versus placebo) and counseling (motivational interviewing versus health education) for African American light smokers.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the child-feeding questionnaire among parents of adolescents.

We investigated the validity of the child-feeding questionnaire (CFQ) among parents of adolescents. The original CFQ was developed to assess perceptions of obesity-proneness and child-feeding practices among parents of 2- to 11-year-old children. We modified the CFQ to make it applicable to parents of adolescents and added one item on monitoring sugared beverages.

Fruit, vegetable, and fat intake among non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white adolescents: associations with home availability and food consumption settings.

Objective: This study sought to explore home food availability and common settings of food consumption as correlates of fruit, vegetable, and fat intake among a sample of non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white adolescents.

Participants And Design: Adolescents (n=144 black, 84 white) and their parents completed a cross-sectional survey in an urban adolescent health clinic. The adolescent survey included screening measures for fruit, vegetable, and fat intake and items on frequency of eating meals with family, while watching television, and at three types of restaurants.

Childhood overweight: an expanding problem.

Childhood overweight is a significant and growing health problem in the US and other parts of the world. Secular trend data in the US suggest that children have become substantially heavier over the last several decades and that their risk for a number of health problems is increasing as a result. Defining obesity in children has been difficult as assessing body fat is expensive and impractical.

Additive interactions of maternal prepregnancy BMI and breast-feeding on childhood overweight.

Objective: To examine the interactions of maternal prepregnancy BMI and breast-feeding on the risk of overweight among children 2 to 14 years of age.

Research Methods And Procedures: The 1996 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Child and Young Adult data in the United States were analyzed (n = 2636). The weighted sample represented 51.

Factors associated with BMI, weight perceptions and trying to lose weight in African-American smokers.

This study examined sociodemographic, behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with BMI, weight perceptions and trying to lose weight among African-American smokers (N=600, M=44.2 years, 70% female). Sixty-eight percent of the sample were overweight or obese (sample BMI M=28.

Development of a culturally relevant body image instrument among urban African Americans.

Objective: To validate a culturally relevant body image instrument among urban African Americans through three distinct studies.

Research Methods And Procedures: In Study 1, 38 medical practitioners performed content validity tests on the instrument. In Study 2, three research staff rated the body image of 283 African-American public housing residents (75% women, mean age = 44 years), with the residents completing body image, BMI, and percentage body fat measures.

Reading nutrition labels and fat consumption in adolescents.

We studied the relationship between reading nutrition labels and percent calorie intake from fat. In adolescent boys, reading nutrition labels was associated with higher fat intake. In girls, fat intake did not differ by frequency of nutrition label reading.

Comparison of smoking relapse curves among African-American smokers.

We examined the smoking relapse curves for African-American smokers by level of smoking to characterize nicotine dependence in this population of smokers. This analysis was conducted from data originally collected to study differences in level of smoking among African-Americans at an inner-city health center in Midwest. Relatively little research has been conducted to clarify smoking and quitting patterns among African-American smokers.

Assessing overweight, obesity, diet, and physical activity in college students.

The authors surveyed 738 college students aged 18 to 27 years to assess overweight, obesity, dietary habits, and physical activity. They used BMI (body mass index) > or = 25 kg/m2 or BMI > or = 85th percentile and BMI > or = 30 kg/m2 or BMI > or = 95th percentile to estimate overweight and obesity in those aged < or = 19 years. To define overweight and obesity in those > or = 20 years, they used BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 and > or = 30 kg/m2.